Why Me?
by Nixa Jane
Summary: Ferretti’s view of leading SG-1 while Jack recovers from a broken leg. I make many attemps at humor. *COMPLETED*
1. The Team of Doom

Why Me? By Layton Colt  
  
I can see him watching me. He doesn't look happy. Jack is the only person I know who actually looks *scarier* while he's smiling.  
  
You see, I've just been appointed the temporary leader of SG-1 . . . and Jack's blaming me.  
  
I don't know how exactly, I forget his reasoning. It was pretty elaborate though, considering he had to blame me for him getting his leg broken on an off world mission whilst I was home in bed.  
  
But the look he's giving me now, his lips frozen in a grin that promises retribution and his eyes are locked on mine, it's enough to make me feel guilty even if I'm not responsible.  
  
Jack and I are always teasing one another . . . that's the way things are when you've got to face the kind of things we do day in and day out.  
  
But I'm beginning to think he's really blaming me this time. I should really ask him to explain to me again how any of this could possibly be my fault.  
  
"Major Ferretti,"  
  
Uh, oh . . . was off in dreamland again while the General was giving his report. Mental note: Start paying attention during briefings.  
  
Heh . . . yea, right.  
  
"You and SG-1 minus Colonel O'Neill will be heading to PX459. The planet appears uninhabited but Dr. Jackson believes the ruins we discovered with the MALP may contain writings of the Goa'uld. Your mission is simple, you are to make sure that there are no threats and then examine the ruins. I'd like you to return in two days."  
  
Daniel didn't seem to like being on a time limit. He was holding up his finger again and concentrating on finding the words that might get the General to lengthen the time frame.  
  
I'm crossing my fingers under the table and hoping the General ignores whatever he says. Two days of doing nothing is more than enough, thank you.  
  
"Two days? Sir, with all due respect exploring this temple correctly would take years. Now I understand that we don't have the time or resources to properly excavate every temple we discover but if I'm going to even scratch the surface and try to find something that might be of use I'll need more than two days."  
  
Damn linguists.  
  
The General's going to cave. I can see it in his eyes.  
  
"A week then," he says reluctantly. Surprise, surprise. The General giving in to Daniel. How novel.  
  
That's the thing I hate most about Daniel, how he's always right. Making us think about things we'd rather ignore.  
  
What was it Jack said? That Daniel was our conscience?  
  
Change that to god damn annoying moral voice and you might just be on to something.  
  
Don't get me wrong, I like Daniel. Most everyone does once they get to know him and get passed that whole geek thing. But Daniel has a habit of disagreeing with everything you say. And coming up with these arguments to prove you wrong.  
  
And now I'm supposed to be his temporary team leader.  
  
Oh, yea.  
  
Jack is still smiling. God it's creepy.  
  
He's probably thinking about all the things he'll do to me if I don't bring his team back intact.  
  
Normally this wouldn't be a problem. I'm good at what I do, I go in, get the job done and then bring my people home.  
  
But working with SG-1 is never normal.  
  
I don't know how many times I've volunteered to go rescue them after they'd gotten themselves captured or killed or because they've just disappeared.  
  
Suffice it to the whole team is filled with jinxes.  
  
Every last one of them. And I'm going to PX- whatever with three of them.  
  
I could very well be walking through the gate to my death.  
  
But I don't believe that the others are in any real danger. You see, it's a rule that SG-1 can't be killed. Not permanently anyway.  
  
This rule does not apply to me. I'm just a temporary replacement.  
  
I'm on SG-2. People from SG-2 can die . . . I've seen it happen more times than I'd like to remember. It especially happens when SG-2 is working with SG-1.  
  
"You'll be leaving in fifteen minutes. Dismissed."  
  
I look up surprised. The briefing was over? What'd I miss?  
  
Daniel and Carter both have that excited scientist glow about them and they're talking a mile a minute as they follow the General out the door.  
  
Teal'c is stoic as ever. He gives a slight head nod to me and O'Neill and then leaves the room.  
  
At this point I'm scrambling from my chair and trying to get away from Jack.  
  
I don't like being alone with him when he's in this kind of mood.  
  
I've seen him break a man's arm wearing that smile.  
  
"Ferretti," he's talking very softly. He knows how much more effective that is than yelling. Shivers crawl done the spines of people who hear that voice. And I'm no exception.  
  
It's just not fair, I didn't break his leg. I didn't push him down that ravine. What makes me everyone's perfect scapegoat?  
  
"Stay awhile, let's . . . chat."  
  
'Chat?' Oh, god. He's going to kill me. I know it.  
  
"Chat?" I say casually. I'm trying not to appear scared since Jack is my friend and my superior and you aren't suppose to be scared of the good guys.  
  
But sometimes Jack can make you feel ten years old with a look. I've always tried to pick up the technique but it usually ends with my wife in hysterics making me promise not to use it on my team.  
  
She said she'd hate for them to lose my respect so I'm guessing I didn't do so good when I tried to replicate the look he's giving me now.  
  
"What about, Jack?"  
  
"Oh, just about you stealing my team."  
  
Stealing his . . . oh for Christ sakes. "Pardon me?"  
  
"You heard me Ferretti. I told the General and Frasier that I was perfectly fine to go off world and you didn't back me up. You just wanted a chance to lead the premier team."  
  
Lead the team of doom? By choice?  
  
"Jack, your leg is broken and you think you're fit to go off world?"  
  
"Go sit and watch Daniel play with rocks? I think I could handle it."  
  
Okay, the man had a point.  
  
"But what if it turned out the planet was inhabited?" I reminded him. "You wouldn't be able to get your team out of there quick enough if you couldn't run."  
  
"I've got crutches."  
  
He's got crutches. That would be effective when running from a group of screaming natives with cross bows.  
  
"Yes, but there are just too many factors, Jack. It's only for this one mission. I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time."  
  
"Try a month."  
  
A month? God have mercy on us all. Jack not able to do what he wants for a whole month.  
  
Jack's attention span is approximately 34.5 seconds. Doc Frasier must be out of her mind to force him to spend a month off his leg.  
  
"A month, huh? That's not so bad."  
  
He's smiling again.  
  
"No, I suppose not. As long as when the month is over I've got my team back. Just don't let them get killed, Ferretti. They've grown on me."  
  
Letting one of SG-1 get killed is suicidal. Everyone knows this. If you let one of them get killed, the other three kill you. It's that simple. Nobody messes with SG-1.  
  
"Of course, Jack," I say while I try to inch my way to the door.  
  
"Ferretti,"  
  
Okay, that tone caused me to stop. This is one I haven't heard before.  
  
Jack . . . serious?  
  
"I know this isn't your fault,"  
  
I actually had to grab onto the door way to keep from falling. What did he just say?  
  
"I just hate feeling helpless . . . I don't like my team going out there without me to defend them."  
  
Jack, helpless? He's admitting this to me? What the hell kind of drugs did Frasier give him anyway?  
  
I sigh and come back to sit down with him. "Don't worry, Jack. I'll take care of them. They've kinda grown on me too."  
  
He's smiling again but I think it's actually genuine this time.  
  
Jack gets up on his crutches and heads out. I'm still sitting here. We leave in about ten minutes so I know I need to go get ready.  
  
I just pray this mission is as cut and dry as it seems. I don't know if Jack could survive anything happening to his team. I know he won't let me survive it.  
  
As I head to the lockers I hear someone shout my name. I stop and turn around.  
  
It's Captain Bentley. This is the last thing I needed. Don't get me wrong, Bentley is a great gal, she's nice as can be. But I'd rather stick a needle in my eye than hold a conversation with her.  
  
Captain Bentley was one of those perpetually happy people. You know the type, their voice raises and lowers giving it an annoying musical quality. They giggle at every pause.  
  
I *hate* those people. Someone that happy all the time is downright creepy.  
  
"Yes, Captain?" Be polite. She hasn't done anything to you. Don't snap at her. Don't ask her to pull her head down from the clouds.  
  
Just be . . . nice. I can do that.  
  
"I just talked with the General," I wonder if maybe she smiled too much as a kid and now her face is stuck that way. "He said that I need to get in some experience off world."  
  
No . . . god, please don't let . . .  
  
"So I'm coming with you!" Anybody got a needle?  
  
"We leave in less than ten minutes, I suggest you suit up." I tell her.  
  
Why me? Is what I really want to know. This mission was going to be bad enough without having to deal with Pollyanna.  
  
"I'll be ready," she says before she turns around and darts off.  
  
I try to hold back a sigh and continue my on my way to the lockers.  
  
I just want this week to be over with. One week. Seven days.  
  
How does Jack do it?  
  
* * * * 


	2. Semantics

Why Me? By Layton Colt  
  
I join Teal'c, Carter and Daniel at the bottom of the ramp.  
  
No sign of Mary Sunshine.  
  
"Wait! I'm here!"  
  
Ah, there she is. She looks like Goldie Locks in combat gear.  
  
I honestly can't comprehend why she chose to be in the military. Happy people don't belong here.  
  
Bentley comes up next to us and smiles at Daniel. Uh, oh . . . I know that kind of smile.  
  
"Sorry, I'm late sir,"  
  
She doesn't look to me to be particularly apologetic. I have no doubts that she's sincere but someone else might be confused as to why she's grinning ear to ear whilst she's giving her apology.  
  
People in the military are supposed to be serious. Granted myself and Jack are not good examples of this. But at least we have game faces.  
  
I don't think Bentley could intimidate a goldfish.  
  
"That's alright, Captain, you didn't have much time to get ready." This was apparently the right thing to say because though I didn't think it possible her grin actually got *wider*.  
  
We all turn and look up at the gate as the first chevron begins to lock into place. I've seen this a hundred times and I still can't look away as the wormhole forms.  
  
It's almost hypnotic . . . if I regret anything about working here it's that I can't share this with my wife. She would love this.  
  
"SG-1, you have a go,"  
  
I look up as I hear the General's voice. He and Jack are up in the control room looking down at us. I can see in Jack's eyes that he wants to be down here with us but I think he does understand why he can't be.  
  
I give them a sloppy salute before I turn and lead SG-1 through the wormhole.  
  
The experience of traveling through the wormhole isn't like it used to be. The chill no longer gets to me, in fact I hardly notice it.  
  
Now, going through the gate is to me like going through a regular door is to everyone else.  
  
Only this 'gate takes you to places you could never hope to see on Earth. Hidden paradises and alien cultures.  
  
And then there are planets like this one. Where you wonder if maybe the 'gate just took you to Canada instead of some other world.  
  
The area was filled with trees and rocks. Basically it looked like the outside of Cheyenne Mountain. I wasn't impressed.  
  
Daniel would disagree with me. And apparently he has found an ally in little Miss Glass half full.  
  
"This is incredible!" I hear Bentley cry out.  
  
"I know," Daniel agrees. "Just think we've just traveled through space . . . we are arguable the first humans to step foot on this soil for centuries."  
  
Yadda, yadda . . . oh look, there's a rabbit! Alert the press.  
  
"Ferretti!"  
  
I sigh as is my custom in dealing with Daniel and turn around, "Yes, Daniel?" I try not to dwell on how much I'm sounding like Jack these days.  
  
"I think that we should head straight to the temple, it doesn't look like there are any inhabitants here."  
  
I look around. Nope didn't see any. But I had learned long ago that didn't mean there was no one there. "How about this Daniel, you Teal'c and Captain Bentley go to the temples. Carter and I will secure the perimeter and set up camp."  
  
Daniel and Bentley beam at me and head off. Teal'c following them with his staff weapon at his side and his ever present frown firmly in place.  
  
I let out a sigh of relief as they disappear through the trees. Of all the people on this mission with me the only one I could ever hope to relate to is Carter.  
  
Carter may be a scientist but she's a soldier first. And she's a pilot. Carter makes sense to me.  
  
Daniel, well, Daniel doesn't. I'm a little scared of Teal'c. And I'm down right *terrified* of Bentley.  
  
Carter and I set off in silence. Searching the terrain without having to issue commands. We both know what we're doing. We've done it a million times before.  
  
Camp is easy to set up and we're done within a half hour.  
  
"Maybe we should go check on the others," I suggest to Carter.  
  
She nods and looks eager, "I think that's a good idea, sir."  
  
She's been kind of anxious this whole time and I was beginning to wonder what was wrong.  
  
"Everything all right, Captain?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Carter says immediately. Ever the perfect soldier.  
  
I accept her answer even though it is so obviously a lie. This isn't my team. Not permanently and I don't have the kind of relationship with them that I do with my own team or that Jack does with his.  
  
Carter and I are just two soldiers doing our jobs and I wasn't about to get into all that touchy feely bonding stuff.  
  
From her sigh of relief that I had dropped the matter, I guessed she felt the same way.  
  
I know I said that Carter was the only one I could relate to, but I really don't know her all that well.  
  
I've heard stories, sure. Everyone tells them. SG-1 is revered. I've been able to tell some stories myself, about the mission that started it all.  
  
About Daniel and Jack and Ra.  
  
A cry up ahead pulls me out of my reverie. Carter is already sprinting ahead and I find that I'm running with out even realizing it.  
  
Teal'c had been the one to cry out, he and Bentley are standing in a clearing.  
  
Daniel's no where in sight.  
  
"Where's Daniel?" Carter asks anxiously before I get the chance to speak.  
  
"Daniel Jackson has fallen through a pit."  
  
"What?!" I shout.  
  
"I knew this would happen!" Carter proclaims. "I just knew it."  
  
Suddenly I realize why Carter had been so anxious. She knew that Daniel would run into trouble.  
  
"I'm okay guys, really," Daniel's muffled voice filters up to us and I drag myself back to the now.  
  
I get down on my knees next to the hole and look down, it's dark but I can see Daniel a couple feet down. The drop wasn't that far.  
  
"You sure you're alright?" I ask. Jack would kill me if anything happened to his team.  
  
"I'm fine!" he reassures us. "You guys won't believe it down here! I think I've found a tomb!"  
  
A tomb? And this is a good thing?  
  
"Teal'c go to our camp site and get some rope from my pack," I order. He nods and heads off so I return my attention to Daniel.  
  
"We'll have you out in a minute, Daniel, don't worry," I tell him.  
  
"What?" he asks. "I'm fine. I can't leave here just yet. This is why we came, right? To explore. I'm exploring."  
  
"Daniel," I'm trying my very best to be patient. "You fell eight feet down into a tomb and you don't want us to help you out? Am I hearing you right?"  
  
"Don't worry, Ferretti," Daniel tells me easily. "I'm sure I can find another way out. This is the *actual* burial room! I'm looking at mummies that are centuries old!"  
  
"Awesome!" This comes from Bentley.  
  
I give her a 'you're not helping' glare and return my attention to Daniel. "I don't care. You can't be going through that tomb alone. What if one of those sarcophaguses isn't holding a corpse? A Goa'uld could be down there. It isn't safe."  
  
"I have retrieved the rope, Major Ferretti."  
  
I'm very proud that I didn't jump. But I swear he came out of nowhere. How does someone so big move so silently?  
  
"Ah thanks, Teal'c." I take the rope and begin to lower it down.  
  
"Grab on and climb up, Daniel. We'll talk about exploring this tomb later, alright?"  
  
No response.  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
I see Carter and Teal'c share a knowing look. "Where is he?" I ask them.  
  
I can see Carter fighting the urge to smile. I don't see what's amusing. "Ah, my guess would be he's already started exploring the tunnels, ah, sir. He doesn't exactly do things like we do."  
  
'We' as in all the sane people in the world?  
  
"Christ," I mutter.  
  
Not even an hour into the trip and I've already let one of my team wander off. Granted the team member was Daniel. The guy who wandered off and got dragged seventy feet by a mutated camel on our first mission together.  
  
"I guess I'll have to go down there." Even I can here the reluctance in my voice.  
  
I don't exactly enjoy running around crypts like Daniel. Frankly, I like to avoid being around dead people any time I can.  
  
"You three wait here," I tell them. "I'll take my radio and contact you if I need backup."  
  
They all nod and Carter tosses me my radio. "Be careful," she tells me.  
  
I grab onto the rope and lower myself down. I pull my flashlight off my belt as I reach the bottom.  
  
The place is certainly creepy. There are cobwebs everywhere and crazy little Egyptian hiero-thingys.  
  
There's only one door leading out of this room and I can see boot prints heading through it.  
  
This wouldn't have happened to Jack. Jack knew how to handle Daniel . . . most of the time.  
  
Daniel's favorite line is 'I'm not military. I'm a civilian.'  
  
But for the most part he listens to Jack and understands that he's part of a team.  
  
But I think he sees me as nothing but a substitute. You know, like back in high school when your teacher was sick and some poor replacement was there.  
  
You didn't think you had to listen to the substitute teacher. You'd walk into class and see that your teacher was out and shout 'free day!'  
  
That's what I felt like. Like a substitute teacher. And as unlikely as it seems, Daniel is the trouble making student.  
  
"Daniel!" I call. I still don't see him and this hallway is really narrow.  
  
Jesus! That was one big spider. Good thing I'm a big time soldier and am not afraid of stupid insects.  
  
Where the hell is Jackson? I swear when I catch up to him.  
  
I see his flashlight up ahead and let out a sigh of relief. I almost forget that I was mad at him.  
  
"Hey, Daniel," I yell at him as I come up behind him. "Didn't I tell you not to go through here alone?"  
  
He turns around and faces me all innocent looking. Ha!  
  
"You did? I don't think you ever actually ordered me to stay where I was."  
  
Semantics. Scientists are always focusing on semantics.  
  
"No but I did say not to go exploring! And when I say something you're supposed to do it!"  
  
"I'm not military," he tells me. "I'm a civilian."  
  
What did I tell you?  
  
"Well, have you found anything?" I ask. As long as we're down here I might as well ask. I mean, I came through those stupid narrow hallways with those stupid bugs and stupid Egyptian graffiti.  
  
He'd have better of found something.  
  
"Ah yes, actually," he tells me.  
  
I know that tone. He's going into lecture mode. God help me.  
  
"This place is dedicated to Anat. Anat was a goddess, Syrian in origin, I believe. Anat was a the goddess of war. Portrayed holding a shield and axe she--"  
  
"Right," I interrupted. "Any chance this Anat was a Goa'uld?"  
  
Daniel nods. "Oh I'd say there's a very good chance. Half the inscriptions on these walls aren't written in Egyptian. Most of this is written in Goa'uld."  
  
Great. Just great. What did I tell you? Jinxes, the lot of them.  
  
* * * * 


	3. Glamorous

Why Me? By Layton Colt  
  
I swear I've had nightmares that start this way.  
  
Here I am, in a tomb filled with dead people on an alien planet with Daniel telling me that a Goa'uld might be here.  
  
Some war goddess no less.  
  
Why me?  
  
"So, you think this Anat might still be here?" I ask Daniel patiently.  
  
Daniel shakes his head, "No, not necessarily. I said that Anat was most likely a Goa'uld. But if Anat were still here my guess is she's either dead or in stasis in a Sarcophagus."  
  
"But she could be here?"  
  
Daniel nods, "Yes. But I haven't seen a Goa'uld sarcophagus, yet. And if there is one it wouldn't be in the same place as all of these mere mortals."  
  
I nod. That made sense. These crazy Goa'ulds thought they were gods. They wouldn't be in the same place as all of these dead . . . slaves.  
  
It was a small comfort. As long as we were near the dead people there was a smaller chance we'd run into a homicidal snake.  
  
I take my radio off of my belt, "Carter, you there?"  
  
"I'm here, sir."  
  
"I've found Daniel. We're going to go ahead and search for another way out."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
I can hear the amusement in her voice. She thinks I'm giving into Daniel. I'm not. I'm not . . . this way's just easier. And I don't want to go back through those stupid, stupid hallways.  
  
Besides, it's my duty to continue on. If there's a Goa'uld down here, I need to know about it.  
  
"Meet us at the temple," I tell Carter. "Ferretti out."  
  
I put the radio back on my belt and look up, "Daniel . . ."  
  
Oh, hell. Where has he gone now?  
  
I walk up around the next corner and see him inside a large room. I'm no archeologist but even I can see this room was made with special care.  
  
It's got a dome ceiling with vine covered windows at its center. The sun is streaming through the plants, leaving spots of light across the carefully tiled floor.  
  
And in the middle of it all was a very familiar gold object. An enchanted Daniel hovering over it.  
  
I'm running towards him before I even realize it. I tackle Daniel to the floor and aim my M-16 at the Sarcophagus.  
  
Daniel's looking at me like I'm nuts, now. Yea, I'm the crazy one.  
  
He's the one that just bounced up to this piece of alien technology. This piece of technology that probably holds one of Earth's greatest enemy.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asks me.  
  
"That's what I was going to ask, don't you know what that is?"  
  
He nods slowly, as though I'm real dense or something. "Yes," he tells me carefully. "It's a Goa'uld sarcophagus."  
  
"And you were about to open it! When you aren't even armed."  
  
Daniel sighs, "I wasn't going to open it. I was just looking."  
  
"Daniel, as long as I've known you you've *never* been able to just look. You *have* to touch everything."  
  
Daniel just rolls his eyes and stands up. "What is it about you military type? You're all so paranoid."  
  
*Paranoid!* Since when was common sense considered paranoia?  
  
"Just stay away from it, Daniel."  
  
He frowns at me, "This is a chance of a lifetime, Ferretti. We can't just pack up and leave because there's a little danger. What if there is a Goa'uld in there, if we could get them back to the SGC . . ."  
  
"No, no way," I'm shaking my head. There is just no way. "Not without backup, Daniel. Not without getting Hammond's okay."  
  
Daniel's not listening to me though. He's looking at the sarcophagus again.  
  
"It is Anat," he says quietly. "I recognize the writings."  
  
"Can you get us out of here, Daniel? Or do we need to go back the way we came?"  
  
He's still ignoring me. He's moved to the far wall now, caught up in the markings on the walls and mumbling to himself as he translates what he sees.  
  
As he turns to me he's smiling. And I thought Jack had a dangerous smile.  
  
"We can open it," he tells me. "Anat is dead. I'm sure of it."  
  
"Uh, huh," I say doubtfully.  
  
Many people mistake Daniel's naivety as honesty. This isn't true, Daniel will lie his ass off if it will get him what he wants.  
  
He lied to Jack on that first mission by promising that he could get us back home.  
  
Well, he did get us home but that's beside the point. He had known there was a chance he might not find the point of origin from Abydos and be able to dial us back to Earth.  
  
"What makes you so sure?" I ask him carefully.  
  
"It says so right here, they say there Goddess was killed in a rebellion. Her loyal Jaffa brought her back here to revive her but it malfunctioned."  
  
I sigh and look back towards the sarcophagus. It was tempting. We at the SGC rarely catch a break.  
  
And I have to admit there were selfish reasons as well. I'd love to be the one to bring our good old Docs back home a nice Goa'uld corpse to dissect.  
  
It might even get me a promotion.  
  
No, no, no . . . stop thinking about that. It's not safe. Go contact Hammond have him bring in a back up team.  
  
Ah, who am I kidding? I always listen to the voice that is looking out for my own best interests.  
  
Screw my conscience. Besides, this time I actually did have a conscience on my side. Daniel.  
  
"Alright," I say. "Tell me how to open it."  
  
Daniel smiles. "I'll do it,"  
  
I turn on him, "No way, back up. You stay over there."  
  
He sighs but stops his approach. "There should be a hieroglyph somewhere on there that you can move. Just turn it."  
  
I nod and check one last time to make sure Daniel has stayed where I told him. If this Anat is just in stasis I want him to be able to get away.  
  
I can tell which one is the switch, there is a small shield in the upper middle portion. With a shaky breath I reach out and turn it.  
  
It clicks and begins to open. I step back and aim my gun at the golden coffin.  
  
It opens slowly, and I hold my breath as I wait to see what it will reveal.  
  
It finally opens all the way and I sigh with relief.  
  
Anat is defiantly dead. And it has not been good to her.  
  
Her golden clothes have been frayed and baked onto her decomposing corpse. It wasn't a pretty sight. The smell wasn't all that pleasant either.  
  
She had gone into the sarcophagus expecting to come out and had not been mummified like the others. She's just been lying here rotting for who knows how long. There were even a couple of maggots crawling in through her ears and out of her nose.  
  
God but my job was glamorous.  
  
I'm going to have to drag home the decaying corpse of some wannabe Goddess and it's the highlight of my career.  
  
"Well," Daniel says. "I was right. She's dead."  
  
I look over at Daniel. Of the two of us you think he would be the one getting physically sick by this sight.  
  
But I guess that Daniel is used to dead people, he's been studying them all of his life.  
  
It's seeing people get killed that he hasn't been desensitized to yet. Unfortunately I can't say the same.  
  
At this I almost lose my lunch but I had watched colleagues, friends fall one by one around me without batting an eye.  
  
"Let's get out of here, Daniel," I say. "We'll come back with a team to take the sarcophagus and it's . . . ah occupant back to base."  
  
Daniel nods, "But we'll get to study the temple before we leave, right? I mean, we don't have to contact Hammond until tomorrow and Anat . . . well she's not going anywhere."  
  
He had a point.  
  
If we went back to the SGC tonight to bring a crew to come get this all back to base I'd have to lead them . . .  
  
I was being selfish again, I knew. But I didn't feel like dealing with all of that right now. It would be much easier to watch Daniel decipher all of his little drawings at that temple.  
  
We'd contact Hammond tomorrow and tell him what we had found. Right, good plan.  
  
"Okay, we'll wait 'till tomorrow to contact Hammond. Now could you find us a way out of here please?"  
  
"Sure," he tells me like he hasn't been stalling and being a constant thorn in my side. His tone kind of said 'all you had to do was ask'.  
  
Hah, I had been asking. He just only answers the questions he likes the answers to. He conveniently ignores and leaves out details that he knows others won't approve of.  
  
Daniel heads through another narrow corridor. I suppress a shudder. I *really* do not like it here. There are so many little things moving in and out through cracks and breaks in the walls that it almost appears to be moving.  
  
Daniel leads on unfazed. In matters of archeology the kid is fearless.  
  
He's one of those anything for the greater good people. He'd been willing to risk his life if it meant getting a Goa'uld for us to study.  
  
Me, I'm one of those anything for the greater good of me people. Maybe that's why I clash with Daniel so much.  
  
Finally we find a staircase and Daniel assures me that it will lead up into the temple.  
  
I find myself narrowing my eyes. He can't know that. It could lead to some torture chamber with a ribbion device happy Goa'uld waiting for us.  
  
But he's just so *certain*. So sure of himself.  
  
Daniel has this way about him that shows both certainty and uncertainty at the same time.  
  
His vast knowledge always at odds with his tendency to stutter.  
  
But if I've learned anything in the time I've known Daniel it's that you can always trust him. He might be almost selfish when it comes to seeking out knowledge but he usually only takes stupid risks when it's only his life on the line. Usually.  
  
I was still weary as I lead the way up the staircase. My gun held out in front of me.  
  
We'd just reached the top when she jumped out of in front of me, all bouncy, ever present smile firmly in place, blond curls swinging into her eyes.  
  
Jesus, Bentley. I almost shot you.  
  
Hum . . . there's an idea . . .  
  
"Sir! Isn't this place beautiful! Daniel! Daniel you have to come see this . . . you won't believe what I found."  
  
Daniel pushes passed me. "What?"  
  
"Well, I'm not really sure," she says still smiling. "It looks like some kind of dais or maybe a place where these people performed sacrifices. I read up on the Aztecs once. About how they would rip the hearts out of their sacrifices . . . It looked kind a like the place they did that, come see . . ."  
  
The two of them dart off and I'm left standing there. Teal'c and Carter are eyeing me sympathetically. I can't believe she's excited about finding a place where people may have been brutally murdered. Archeology and anthropology don't make sense to me. Or maybe it's just Bentley and Daniel I don't understand . . . I mean I *can* relate to Indiana Jones after all. The guy's a hero.  
  
Teal'c and Carter are still staring at me. I look down to see why.  
  
Oh, that's why.  
  
My entire right side was covered in dirt and dust from when I so heroically tackled Daniel to safety.  
  
My left sleeve has been torn from where it got caught on a jagged part of the wall and I was covered practically head to toe in cobwebs.  
  
Great, just great. I really wasn't cut out for this.  
  
For the first time in my career I began to seriously contemplate retirement.  
  
* * * * 


	4. Don't Worry, Be Happy

Why Me? By Layton Colt  
  
I collapsed down against one of the temples walls. I was still a mess. I hadn't bothered to try and clean up.  
  
Carter and Teal'c were patrolling the perimeter. Both had been slightly on edge since I told them about the Goa'uld Daniel and I had found.  
  
Daniel and Bentley were studying the dais. Daniel was explaining that it had actually been used for religious ceremonies such as weddings and not for sacrifices.  
  
I think she was disappointed.  
  
Everything hadn't been so bad though. On the bright side tomorrow I could contact Hammond, escort the team to get the corpse and then go home.  
  
I doubt if Hammond will have us finish the week mission after we've found a Goa'uld.  
  
Right, and I'm just that lucky.  
  
Hammond will probably extend the mission because we're just doing so very well.  
  
And the way Daniel is darting from one area of the temple to another, explaining concept after excruciatingly boring concept to Bentley I doubt he'll suggest we cut the mission short.  
  
As for Bentley . . . well she just gets stranger and stranger. She doesn't look like a dear caught in the headlights. This is how normal people look when they get stuck listening to Daniel lecture. She actually appears to be enjoying what he's saying.  
  
He's probably telling her about ritual sacrifices.  
  
Time passed slowly. Maddeningly so. But eventually the sun began to set and I told Bentley and Daniel that we had to head back.  
  
Bentley nodded and I swear she began to *skip* back towards camp.  
  
Daniel was a little more reluctant so I gave him a push and he began to move. We made it back to camp and Carter and Teal'c finished patrolling and joined us.  
  
"Who's got first watch?" I asked. No way was I doing it. I was practically dead on my feet already.  
  
"I'll do it!" Bentley cheerfully volunteers.  
  
I nod vaguely and we sort out the order of the rest of the watches. First Bentley, then Carter, Teal'c, Daniel and then me.  
  
I get to go last because I'm team leader and being team leader does have its perks.  
  
I collapse into my tent and lay down on the cot. I had just closed my eyes when I heard the strangest sound.  
  
I sat up on my cot, fully alert now. Then I realized what it was.  
  
It was Bentley singing 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' as she paced around the camp sight.  
  
If I'm able to get through this mission without killing her I'd better damn well get that promotion.  
  
It seems like I'd only been asleep for a few minutes when I awoke to Daniel shaking me and telling me it was my watch.  
  
I pulled myself up. Daniel had already collapsed and fallen back to sleep. Daniel isn't a morning person. Not that you could really call this morning yet.  
  
I apparently forgot to change last night and I'm still wearing my destroyed uniform. I change into a new one quickly and head out for my watch.  
  
Everything looks clear. Little birdies are flying overhead. Some deer like creatures galloping through the trees.  
  
It really is lovely here. If only my mind didn't keep traveling back to that not so lovely tomb and the dead woman.  
  
That's a sight I don't think I'll forget anytime soon. I sigh and start to patrol the perimeter. It's better for me if I keep moving during my watch.  
  
Finally the sun begins to raise and Bentley comes flying out of her tent singing 'Zippity Do Da'.  
  
There is seriously something wrong with that girl.  
  
"Hey, sir, how was your watch."  
  
"Oh it was very stimulating."  
  
Bentley just smiles and nods. She's one of those people who don't get sarcasm. "That's good," she tells me.  
  
Carter and Teal'c come out next and a few minutes later Daniel drags himself out of the tent and heads over to the coffee machine.  
  
After two cups he begins to look human again.  
  
"Alright," Bentley calls cheerfully. "Let's get this show on the road!"  
  
I shoot Bentley a look that even she couldn't misunderstand.  
  
"Ah, sir," she adds hastily.  
  
Daniel looks alert now. The prospect of exploring giving him a buzz.  
  
"Yes, I'd like to go back in the tomb and study the sarcophagus again."  
  
I shake my head, "We're going to contact Hammond today, remember? Have someone take it back to base."  
  
Daniel nods impatiently, "Yes, yes, I know that. But while you go to contact Hammond I can wait for you in the tomb. I'd like to study it before it's moved."  
  
"I can go with him, sir!" Bentley volunteers enthusiastically.  
  
I don't know if she's so eager because she wants to be alone with Daniel or because she wants to see dead people.  
  
Either way I wasn't letting those two off by themselves.  
  
"Alright," I say, "the three of us will go. Carter, Teal'c I want you to go to the 'gate and contact Hammond. Tell him what we found and request a retrieval team."  
  
Carter nods and says, 'yes, sir'. Teal'c just tipped his head down slightly and they went off on there way.  
  
I turned back to Daniel and Bentley. They've both already started for the tomb.  
  
My eyes roll upwards and I follow after them.  
  
"So, Sarah," Daniel is saying.  
  
Who's Sarah? Oh, yea. Bentley.  
  
"Have you ever been in a tomb before?"  
  
"No, actually, but I've always wanted to see one."  
  
Yea, me too. Who doesn't want to walk around a crypt?  
  
Daniel smiles at her, "Well, now you'll get your chance."  
  
Why did I agree to this? I'm leading the way back down the staircase to the very place I was trying to get away from just yesterday.  
  
Have I told you how much I *hate* it down here?  
  
Once we reached the bottom Bentley and Daniel darted off ahead of me. I sped up to keep them in my sights.  
  
We reach the room with the sarcophagus and Daniel just stands in the entrance to the room, staring at it.  
  
"What's wrong?" I ask him.  
  
"Ah, wasn't that open when we left?"  
  
I turn to the sarcophagus. The lid has slid back into place. That's odd.  
  
"Yea, maybe it closes automatically," I suggest.  
  
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Daniel tells me.  
  
This catches my attention. Daniel has the worse sense of danger of anyone I've ever met. If he's worried, we might be in trouble.  
  
Bentley has entered the room and she's standing over the sarcophagus before I can call her back.  
  
"This is so *cool*," she cries.  
  
"Yea, it's great," I tell her. "Step away from it."  
  
She looks disappointed but follows my order and steps back.  
  
Maybe I've been hanging around Daniel too long because I decided to throw caution to the wind and approached the sarcophagus, motioning Bentley and Daniel to step away.  
  
I reach out and turn the shield symbol. Again it clicks and begins to slide open. I hold my gun up and watch warily.  
  
The corpse is still pretty mangled but something catches my eye and I step forward. There are patches of new skin around her eyes and pieces on her hands.  
  
"Oh shit!" Her eyes snap open and she bolts up right.  
  
She looks like that Imotep guy from the Mummy when he just starts to turn human again. Half her face is brown and filled with holes the other is covered with newly regenerated skin.  
  
She raises her hand and I notice for the first time she's wearing a ribbon device.  
  
I'm thrown back six feet into a stone wall. I don't even feel the pain until I land on my backside.  
  
My M-16 has been thrown away from me. There's no way I'll make it there with this headache.  
  
I look up and see Bentley. What is she doing?  
  
Bentley is approaching Anat. She lifts her pistol and fires off one shot.  
  
She hits Anat between the eyes and Anat falls back into the sarcophagus.  
  
"Well, that was . . . interesting . . ." Daniel says.  
  
Interesting? Jesus Christ.  
  
I've never seen *anything* like that before. And I've seen a lot.  
  
I always thought the sarcophagus could only heal you if you'd died recently.  
  
But apparently, that isn't true.  
  
Daniel and I must have reactivated the sarcophagus after all these years. And it started working again.  
  
I'm pulled back to the now as I hear the sarcophagus begin to close again.  
  
Oh, no way in hell.  
  
I ignore the pain in my head and jump up. I'm beside the sarcophagus in an instant and I grab Anat by the arm to pull her out.  
  
The arm comes detached at the elbow.  
  
Oh. My. God.  
  
Screw discretion.  
  
I grab her around the midsection and haul her out, dropping her unceremoniously to the ground.  
  
Daniel looks like he's about to say something about having respect for the dead but I silence him with a look.  
  
Bentley is grinning ear to ear, "Holy shit," she says. "Does this happen to you guys all the time?"  
  
Unfortunately.  
  
"It's right through here," we hear Carter's voice.  
  
She leads in SG-6 who is followed by Teal'c. She stops as she sees us. The one armed corpse of Anat lying on the floor.  
  
"What . . . what happened, sir?" she asks me.  
  
"It appears that the Goa'uld wasn't as dead as we thought, Captain Carter. But don't worry, Bentley took care of her."  
  
Bentley smiles proudly, "Got her right between the eyes," she tells them. "This job is so *cool*."  
  
Well, at least one of us is enjoying ourselves.  
  
* * * * 


	5. Oops

Why Me? By Layton Colt  
  
I sighed and placed my head in my hands.  
  
SG-6 had already returned to Earth with the Goa'uld and the sarcophagus. We'd of been going with them if Daniel hadn't convinced the General it was extremely unlikely that there would be another Goa'uld on the planet, and then proceeded to tell him how much he could learn from the writings on the temple walls.  
  
So here we were. Back at the temple. Daniel was sitting in front of one of the walls with his notebook. Carter was examining some mechanical thing she found and Teal'c was patrolling the perimeter. Bentley was being her usual self, asking Daniel a million questions like 'what does this symbol mean?' or 'Come look at this! What is this?' and basically just being obnoxious.  
  
I had to give Daniel credit though, he didn't seem irritated even though she was constantly interrupting his work. He just patiently answered every one of her questions.  
  
He was a better man than I.  
  
There's always a silver lining though, Daniel said there's no reason to go back in the tomb.  
  
He said even though he could learn a lot about the culture that had lived here that he wouldn't learn anything that would help the SGC down there.  
  
So that meant that all I had to do for the next five days was sit here and watch as everyone else found something productive to do.  
  
Well, almost everyone else. Bentley wasn't really doing anything.  
  
I had just caught myself humming 'Zippity Do Da' when I saw Daniel jump up.  
  
"Where are you going?" I asked.  
  
He didn't answer, he was muttering to himself and walking to the far wall.  
  
I got up and followed him. Bentley was right behind me but I don't think Carter even noticed us get up. She had the same intense look on her face that Daniel did, and was muttering to herself the same way he was as she examined . . . well I'm not sure what it was.  
  
They were really two of a kind, Daniel and Carter.  
  
"Hey, Daniel," I talk louder this time, trying to get his attention.  
  
"Yes?" he asked distractedly.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh," he says. "I read that there should be a doorway on this wall. It apparently leads to . . . well . . . it didn't say what it led to but if I could just find it . . ."  
  
"Now wait just a minute, what if it's some kind of trap?"  
  
Daniel finally turns and looks at me. "What? A trap? No, no it's not a trap. At least I don't *think* that it is."  
  
That's reassuring.  
  
"Well, what do you *think* it is?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he admits. "That's why I want to find it and go look inside."  
  
"Daniel, I don't think this is a really good idea, you don't--"  
  
"Hey, maybe you push this thing!" Bentley says just before reaching out and pushing a rectangular square into the wall.  
  
The ground beneath us begins to shake and the three of us thrown to the floor.  
  
On the other side of the room Carter looks up. She starts towards us but a large wall slams down, cutting her off from us and sealing us in the room.  
  
I turn back to the other wall and there is a doorway there that hadn't been before.  
  
Bentley is smiling. I wasn't going to kill her. I wasn't going to kill her. "Oops," she says.  
  
Daniel has already pulled himself to his feet and is walking towards the newly created doorway. I grab his arm.  
  
"Hold on," I say as I stand up myself, picking up my M-16 as I did.  
  
I look towards the new doorway. This was just a little suspicious to me. A wall has slammed down behind us, blocking the exit and now the only way out was through this door.  
  
It was just a little too convenient.  
  
"I'll go first," I tell Bentley and Daniel. They both look unhappy at being told to wait but I don't care. They can be unhappy just so long as they aren't dead.  
  
If this door lead to some fatal trap *I* was going to be the one to trigger it.  
  
I was responsible for them. I was the team leader. I would go first.  
  
I carefully stepped into the pitch black room. I can't see *anything*. But at least no flying disks had come out of the walls to chop off my head. That was always a plus.  
  
As I take another step the room is suddenly flooded with light. I have to catch my breath at what the light reveals.  
  
I was defiantly going to get that promotion. The walls were lined with staff weapons and zat guns. There were rows and rows of Jaffa armor. Then there was a death glider. Sitting in the middle of the room in all its glory.  
  
I turn back around to tell Daniel and Bentley it's safe to come in when I see Daniel was already here. He was at the wall fiddling with some kind of control panel or something.  
  
"Hey," I shout. "Be careful."  
  
He turns and smiles at me, "I know what I'm doing," he says. "How did you think the lights came on?"  
  
Magic?  
  
"Come on in, Bentley."  
  
Bentley comes bounding in like a Cocker Spaniel. I resist the urge to smile. If nothing else she follows orders. I should be grateful.  
  
"Ferretti! Ferretti are you there?" I looked down at my radio and quickly picked it up.  
  
I had forgot about Carter. Her and Teal'c must be wondering what happened to us.  
  
"Here" I say.  
  
I can hear her sigh of relief, "Are you all alright, sir?"  
  
A smile spreads across my face before I can stop it. "We're more than all right. We've just walked right into a Goa'uld arsenal."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Staff weapons, death glider, you name it, it's here."  
  
"That's great, sir," Carter says. "But do you have a way out?"  
  
My smile fades. I'd forgotten about that.  
  
"Standby," I say.  
  
"Ah, Daniel. Can you get us out of here?"  
  
Daniel pulls his eyes away from the wall of staff weapons and turns to me. "I'll read these inscriptions," he tells me as he walks to a wall covered in writing. "They might say how to get out of here."  
  
"Major Ferretti, do you require assistance?" Teal'c's voice sounded so clear that I thought for a moment he was behind me.  
  
Realizing it was my radio again I picked it up. "Not yet," I say. "Daniel is trying to get us out of here. Just sit tight."  
  
"Understood."  
  
Bentley is staring at the Death Glider in awe. I guess she's never seen one. "It's gorgeous," she says. "I'd sell my very soul for a chance to fly it."  
  
I didn't doubt it.  
  
"Daniel!" I call. "How's it coming?"  
  
Daniel doesn't turn as he answers, "Apparently one of these will open another door."  
  
I look where he's pointing. There's a serious of raised stones on the wall just like the one Bentley had pushed to get us into this mess.  
  
"Well, which one?" I ask.  
  
He finally looks up, "That would be the problem. I'm not sure."  
  
Of course. God forbid something should be easy for once.  
  
"It doesn't say?" I try valiantly to keep the irritation from voice. It isn't Daniel's fault.  
  
I turn to glare at the other occupant of the room. It's Bentley's fault.  
  
Bentley just smiles and gives me a finger wave.  
  
"No, it doesn't," Daniel says. He points to the two stones in the middle. "I'm pretty sure that it is one of these."  
  
"Well try it," I tell him.  
  
"I don't think that would be such a good idea," he says.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Because if I push the wrong one the temple will self destruct."  
  
Oh, that's why not.  
  
"What do you suggest we do then?" I ask Daniel. I hate to put all of the pressure on him but this really isn't my field.  
  
He shrugs. "I'm not sure. I *think* that the one on the right is the correct button."  
  
"Is it worth the risk?" I ask.  
  
I'm getting impatient and I really don't see any other way out of this.  
  
Daniel speaks my thoughts out loud, "I don't think there's anything else to do."  
  
I nod and pick up my radio, "Carter,"  
  
"Yes, sir,"  
  
"I want you and Teal'c to put some distance between yourselves and the temple."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"We're going to try to get out of here but there's a chance that the temple might self destruct."  
  
"Do you think that we should go get help? Maybe you."  
  
I cut her off, "Get help from who, Carter? I've got the expert right here with me. If Daniel can't figure this out who else could? And how could they help us if they couldn't get to us anyway."  
  
"I see your point, sir," she says quietly. "We'll wait for you at the camp site. Good luck."  
  
I place my radio back. "Alright Daniel, do it."  
  
Daniel takes a deep breath and pushes the stone in. The ground begins to shake again but we can all see a door opening on the far wall.  
  
I smile. It worked. I turn to congratulate Daniel and see that he's frowning. The ground is still shaking and I realize that it's become more violent.  
  
"Uh, oh," Daniel says.  
  
Uh, oh? What uh, oh?  
  
"I think I hit the wrong one," he says.  
  
We all start running at the same time. The ceiling begins to crumble above us, dust and tiles crashing down around us.  
  
We can see the outside now. We're getting closer.  
  
We had just made it out the door when the ceiling finally collapsed. The three of us turned and watched as the entire temple fell to the ground.  
  
Burying all of that wonderful Goa'uld technology and my hope for a promotion beneath it.  
  
All of us are covered head to toe with dust, and it's still clinging to us by the time we reach the camp site.  
  
Carter beams when she sees us and even Teal'c cracked a smile. I don't know if they were happy to see us alive or if they just found our appearance amusing.  
  
We start packing up camp immediately. I'm not going to waste any time. I want *off* this planet.  
  
Well, like I said. I guess there's always a silver lining. I may have narrowly missed getting buried alive and lost the chance at acquiring an arsenal of Goa'uld weaponry but at least I got to go home.  
  
* * * * 


	6. Jack in Personnel

Why Me? By Layton Colt  
  
I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face as Daniel dials up the 'gate.  
  
As thrilling as it is to go through the 'gate, nothing compares to the return journey. To going home, back where things make sense. Where I can sit with my wife at dinner and listen while she tells me about her day.  
  
I hear her talking about a problem at her work. Her boss is hassling her and she acts like it's the end of the world.  
  
And I can just listen. I can't talk about what *I* do, and I don't really want to. Leaving it behind when I leave the mountain is what keeps me sane.  
  
"Sir?" Carter prompts.  
  
I look up to see the wormhole has formed. I really should stop letting my attention wander.  
  
"Let's go," I say. And I lead them up the ramp.  
  
Daniel, Bentley and I are still covered in dust so we present quite a sight as we reach the other side.  
  
I can see Jack hobbling in to the 'gate room. He smiles when he sees his team is alright. The smile turns into a smirk when he sees the condition we are in.  
  
Daniel is sneezing from the dust now. Bentley patting him on the back and asking him if he's okay. I just wipe my sleeve over my face, and succeed in doing nothing more than smearing the dust.  
  
"Aren't you guys back a little early?" Jack asks.  
  
General Hammond appears behind him, "Yes, Major Ferretti what's happened?"  
  
"The, ah, temple kind of collapsed," I tell him.  
  
"Kind of?" Jack echoes.  
  
"It collapsed," I admit.  
  
"How did that happen?" General Hammond asks. The confused look appears on his face. You think he'd just take everything in stride by now. Enough had happened.  
  
"That would be my fault," Daniel says as he gets his sneezing under control. "I inadvertently caused the temple to self destruct."  
  
"Inadvertently?" Jack repeats dubiously.  
  
"Well we were in the Goa'uld arsenal, sirs," Bentley defends. "There wasn't anything else we could do to get out but try to open the secret door."  
  
Hammond shakes his head, "SG-1, Major Ferretti, Captain Bentley, report to the briefing room."  
  
"Ah, sir," I say cautiously. "Would it be alright if we showered and changed first?"  
  
The General turns to us again, eyeing our dust covered fatigues. "You have fifteen minutes, Major," he says before leaving.  
  
Jack's still smirking. "So, you destroyed the whole temple, huh?"  
  
"It was an accident, Jack," Daniel says.  
  
"So, Jack," I said casually, shamelessly trying to change the subject. "What did you do while we were gone?"  
  
Jack smiled, "I was temporarily assigned to Personnel. You know, going through applications, making the duty roosters. Stuff like that. You guys better go get cleaned up, you've only got fifteen minutes."  
  
I nod, "Right, see you at the briefing, Colonel."  
  
Bentley, Daniel and I head off to go get cleaned up. Teal'c and Carter get to go wait in the briefing room with the Colonel like good little soldiers.  
  
They didn't get trapped in a room with enough weaponry win a war. They didn't then *accidentally* cause said room to come down on itself by hitting the self destruct and become covered in dust.  
  
Exactly fifteen minutes later Daniel and I enter the briefing room nice and clean. Bentley is already there, recounting the story of our daring escape in rather melodramatic terms to Jack.  
  
Jack raises an eyebrow at me as I enter. Just what did Bentley tell him?  
  
Just as Daniel and I sit down the General enters. "Alright, Major Ferretti, care to tell me what happened on that planet?"  
  
I told the General what happened, toning the story down and trying to make it seem like no big deal. Well, yes General, sir, the ceiling did almost come down on us and we lost a chance at gaining countless staff weapons and zat guns but it really isn't all that significant.  
  
Yea, right.  
  
The General frowns when he hears about the Death Glider. I know how he feels. It would have been such a break for us if we could have gotten it back to the SGC.  
  
But that's life, mine anyway.  
  
Through the whole meetings Jack is giving me these significant little looks. Like he knows something that I don't.  
  
It's really unnerving.  
  
"Major Ferretti," the General's talking again so I return my attention to him. "Do you thing there's any chance we might be able to recover the technology from the rubble?"  
  
"It's possible," I say reluctantly. I'm really not holding out much hope. "But it would take a lot of manpower."  
  
"But wouldn't it pay off if we could get our hands on some more staff weapons or even a death glider?" Jack asked.  
  
"It's probably worth a try," I say at last.  
  
The General nods. "I'll send SG-4 to go evaluate the rubble and assess the chances of getting anything out from it."  
  
Just so long as I'm not going the General can do whatever the hell he wants.  
  
"What have the doctors been able to find out about the Goa'uld corpse?" Daniel asks.  
  
The General turned to Daniel and I was glad to have the attention off me. "They were able to remove the symbiote from the host. Janet doesn't know how much she'll be able to learn from it though."  
  
Daniel nodded, "And the sarcophagus?"  
  
"I'd like you and Captain Carter to take a look at it when you have the time, I think you two are our best bet at figuring that thing out."  
  
Carter nods eagerly, "I'll look at it first chance I get, sir,"  
  
"Me too," Daniel adds.  
  
I can see the wheels turning in both their heads already.  
  
"Ah, we could probably use Teal'c's help also," Daniel nods.  
  
"I would be glad to assist you, Daniel Jackson."  
  
Daniel Jackson. After all this time and they *still* aren't on a first name only basis.  
  
"You'll probably need my help too, huh Daniel," Jack asks.  
  
Daniel shoots Jack a confused look, "Why?" he asks innocently.  
  
Jack bristles, "I do have some experience with them as well," he says curtly. "Besides, I thought we could make it a team project."  
  
Ah, isn't that cute. Jack is feeling left out.  
  
He should be counting his blessings.  
  
Daniel seems to pick up on the fact that Jack is feeling rather useless with his broken leg and quickly adds, "Right, of course. I'm sure it would go a lot faster if you helped us out."  
  
Jack gives Daniel a relieved smile. SG-1 really is a close group.  
  
I wonder what I'm doing wrong. Me and my men have never bonded like this. One of my best guys actually requested to be reassigned a couple weeks ago, leaving the remainder of my team on stand down.  
  
I think maybe the problem is the people who are assigned to my team are just like me, people like Daniel, Jack, Carter and Teal'c are a dime a dozen. They aren't your ordinary soldiers. Daniel isn't even a soldier, a fact he won't ever let you forget.  
  
I may have grumbled about leading SG-1 on this trip but I should be so lucky to have a team like theirs. Not that I have a bad team. They're good guys, all of them. Good soldiers. They follow every single order I give and never question anything.  
  
Maybe that's the problem.  
  
"Well if that's all," the General says. "SG-1, go ahead and go check that sarcophagus. Then I want you to go home and take a day off."  
  
Bentley is the first out the door. I can still hear her whistling as she disappears. Teal'c goes next, stoic and focused. Daniel and Carter are speeding by soon after, engaged in some intense debate about the mechanics of the sarcophagus.  
  
Jack limps out next, clutching onto his crutches. He gives me a sly smile before he leaves and I wonder briefly what he's done to make him so smug.  
  
Jack is a big fan of practical jokes. His favorite person to play them on is, of course Daniel. But occasionally he decides to plot against me. I'll have to be extra careful.  
  
I get up to follow the others but Hammond calls me back. "I'm going to want you to leave again in three days," Hammond tells me. "You'll be leading another mission."  
  
No, no, no . . . I won't *survive* another mission! Not with them!  
  
I see the corner's of the General's lips turn upwards, "Don't worry, Major. You'll be leading your own team. SG-2."  
  
"But sir, I'm still a man short."  
  
"Don't worry about that, Major. Colonel O'Neill has personally selected a new member for your team. Dismissed."  
  
I turn and leave. Well, at least I get a three day break.  
  
Wait . . . did the General say that *Jack* picked the person who would be assigned to my team?  
  
"Major Ferretti!"  
  
Bentley. I turn to greet her. I really want to go home but I can't be rude.  
  
"Yes, Captain?" I ask patiently. Come on, come on, I haven't got all day.  
  
She's beaming at me. She looks even happier than usual. "Have you heard, sir?"  
  
"Heard what?"  
  
"I've just been assigned to your team!"  
  
The End.  
  
LOOK BELOW FOR DELETED SCENES!!!!  
  
Well I hated to do it but I had to bring my favorite adventure to an end. I think I've put Ferretti through enough. I will probably right a similar story though. I don't think I'm quite through with Bentley.  
  
They always put deleted scenes on DVD's nowadays and I thought why not do it in my stories? These are a few short excerpts that I was forced to cut for one reason or another.  
  
* * * *  
  
"So the mission was a success then?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
One more success like this and I'll be six feet under.  
  
* * * *  
  
Bentley beams at us proudly, "Sometimes I amaze myself."  
  
From what I know about Bentley, that really doesn't sound all that hard.  
  
  
  
* * * *  
  
  
  
"You know. we probably should have contacted Hammond as soon as we found a Goa'uld."  
  
I was going to have to kill him. That was all there is to it.  
  
I'd already been lectured by Colonel Robinson of SG-6. I didn't need this from Daniel of all people.  
  
"You know," I say sharply. "I recall saying something about contacting Hammond before *you* talked me out of it."  
  
Daniel looks offended. "I didn't talk you out of it, I just pointed out Anat was dead. which she was, at first anyway."  
  
  
  
* * * * 


End file.
